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| Vol.3.101 | |
Books Will Not Surviveby Vince PoscenteAuthor of The Ant and the Elephant, Invinceable Principles and The Age of Speed The Age of Speed is driven by our insatiable need for instant gratification. If we can have it now, that’s a good thing. The debate over paper bound books vs electronic books has been bouncing back and forth like a rumor at a healthcare debate. But digital products like the Kindle and Sony Book Reader will eventually be the death panel for paper books. The biggest argument for book readers has been “loving the feel of paper in their hands.” It’s a nostalgic notion not unlike the romanticism of riding on a train or in a boat or on a horse. These same people would still readily and primarily hop in a car or travel on a plane. The experience of reading a book is not about the paper folks. The coveted experience is the escape. When you read a book, the only thing that you have consuming your focus is the story or content. Books on laptops or desktops have not, nor will they ever, replace conventional books. Why? Interruptions and convenience. The dominant downside of the Age of Speed are the number of times we are interrupted in a day. Putting multiple functionalities on one computer (ie communication, video, pictures, business applications, etc) have obvious benefits. But add a book, especially a fictional narrative and you lose the escape experience. It’s tough to escape when you have, “You’ve got mail” dinging away.
Actually, let’s back up and understand that we humans are driven by an experience. We will buy expensive tickets for a Paul McCartney concert weeks in advance just to experience something we associate with our younger days. Which is what we did recently. Oh, by the way… it was amazing to look around and see how many people where texting while McCartney was performing. So much for “escape.” This is a case in point. If the distraction is available, it doesn’t even need a ding to interrupt us. As your thoughts wander while you read a book or enjoy a concert the simple access to twitteremailtextingchattinginstantmessagingfacebooking is enough to ruin the escape with a compulsive look. The biggest mistake Kindle and Sony Readers could make is to try to become a multifunction unit. Keep it a tablet to read and escape. Leave the PDA at home. Escape and enjoy. And to all you books made out of paper. It was nice knowing ya. Now I’ve got some inventory to unload. Buy those old fashioned books while they last. Why? According to Brian Tracy, the one thing all rich people have in common is a library. So stock up so you can be rich and nostalgic all at once. Until next week, it’s full speed ahead,
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© 2010 Vince Poscente. All Rights Reserved. |
